


Orbiting the Sun

by Mamacita5012



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Good Brother Diego Hargreeves, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sober Klaus Hargreeves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:54:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21748624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mamacita5012/pseuds/Mamacita5012
Summary: Diego picks Klaus up from rehab."This time, seems, different. I’m hopeful. I like to think that this is the time that’s going to stick."
Relationships: Diego Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves/Klaus Hargreeves
Comments: 10
Kudos: 45





	Orbiting the Sun

“Hello?”

“Hello, Mr. Hargreeves?”

He winced at the sound of his father’s name. 

“Just Diego, please. Who’s this?”

“Hello Diego, my name is Justin. I’m calling from Pineview Rehabilitation Center. Do you have a moment to speak with me? It’s about your brother Kl---”

“Yeah, yeah. What has Klaus done this time? Does he need to be picked up or something?”

“Well, yes, actually. He’s being released on Saturday morning; he was hoping you could come pick him up.” 

“Yeah, that’s fine, I’ll be there.”

“Thank you. We’re located at---”

“Yeah, I know...this isn’t our first time." Diego paused. "But why are _you_ calling? Usually Klaus calls me himself."

"Yes, sometimes our patients feel a bit nervous about making initial contact with family members." 

"Klaus? Nervous?" Diego scoffed.

"Well, to be blunt, he said you'd be, and I quote, 'less of a dick' if the call came from a neutral party. Something about always saying the wrong thing when it came to you."

"Shit man. That's kinda hard to hear." Diego rubbed his free hand over his face, guilt flooding his veins. 

"Sorry. Shit, sorry. I probably shouldn't have said that."

Diego chuckled to himself, realizing this Justin guy was probably just trying to do Klaus a favor, and Diego was making it harder than it needed to be. 

"Hey, it's alright man. It's not your fault. Hell, it's not even Klaus's fault. I guess, I guess I can admit to being a bit of a dick from time to time. Especially about Klaus's continuous drug habit."

The man took a deep breath as if to say something else, and then paused. 

“Mr. Hargreeves...sorry, Diego...I’ve worked here awhile. I--I know Klaus, I know...how he....struggles. This time, seems, different. I’m hopeful. I like to think that this is the time that’s going to stick. If I’m lucky I’ll never see him again.” 

Diego chuckles. “Wouldn’t we all be so lucky?” he says sarcastically, then mentally punches himself for being a dick. 

“I’m sorry, that came out wrong. I don’t mean to say that I never want to see Klaus again. He’s great, actually, and he’s made some really impressive strides this time around. I just...hope to never see him again _here_ , at rehab. I sadly don’t say this about patients very often, but I honestly believe that Klaus can make it this time. I think he’s gonna stay sober.” 

“Pfft,” Diego huffed. “I’ll believe it when I see it.” 

This time Diego smacked his palm to his forehead. _Could you please say something that would make you sound like less of a dick?_

“Well you will, on Saturday, 9 o’clock sharp.” Justin paused. 

“And Diego?”

“Hmm”

“I know...it’s hard. I have a sister... _had_ a sister.” His voice almost broke emphasizing _had._

“I had a sister, like Klaus...just...give him another chance. Trust me, I really think you’ll see a change.” 

“Uh, sorry man. About your sister...and, uh...thanks. About Klaus, I mean...I really hope you’re right.”

*********************

Diego pulled into the parking lot at 8:45 and sighed, already mentally exhausted at the thought of dealing with Klaus for the next 24 hours. He closed his eyes, rested his hands on the steering wheel, and gave himself a mental pep talk: _‘Don’t be a dick.’_

He rushed toward the facility, knowing Klaus would be getting antsy. He didn’t see Klaus as he walked up toward the front door, which was unusual. Every other time he came to pick Klaus up from rehab, he was usually sitting in the grass, knees pulled to his chest, biting his nails, or nervously pacing back and forth, a ball of drug-free anxiety. Diego gave himself a mental pat on the back, for arriving early enough to avoid Klaus’s nerves getting the best of him. 

He almost made it to the front desk to ask about his brother’s whereabouts when he spotted him. Sitting in the middle of a couch, looking....healthy, radiant, beautiful. He looked like a totally different person than Diego remembered, and he stopped dead in his tracks, mouth open, eyes wide. 

His teeth were clean, and his hair was shining--beautiful dark curls drooping perfectly in every direction. His face had really filled out; Diego could no longer see the hollow of his cheeks, or the dark circles under his eyes that he’d come to associate with his little brother. His skin was...glowing, like he’d been walking around a beach sipping lemonade and searching for seashells for the past 30 days, instead of holed up in some dingy rehab facility. God he looked so young, so full of life. He looked like…

He looked like the Klaus from that night, eight years ago. The Klaus that haunted Diego’s dreams, reminding him of…

Diego stopped. He closed his eyes, took a breath, and ended that train of thought. He didn’t have time to think about that right now. 

He looked back toward Klaus and took in his brother's surroundings. Klaus was encircled by other patients, all around his age, all crying. But also, smiling? All of them had at least one hand somewhere on Klaus’s body. The man sitting on his left had his arm wrapped around Klaus’s shoulder, and the woman on his right was rubbing Klaus’s back while wiping tears from his cheek. The other four were sitting on chairs and ottomans, pulled closer to the couch, so they could reach out and touch Klaus, holding his hands and gently patting different parts of his legs. 

Klaus looked like a glowing sun, pulling these friends into his orbit. Except he wasn’t burning them up with his heat. Instead, he was just crying and laughing and warming them gently with his radiant smile. 

Diego couldn’t help but notice that, not counting his brother, there were six of them--four men and two women--and they were all surrounding Klaus. Sure, it was just a weird coincidence, but the thought of himself and his other siblings surrounding Klaus in such an overwhelming show of support and love rushed into his brain and made him draw in a gulp of air so quickly he almost got lightheaded. 

He felt such a wave of mixed emotions rush over him, that he suddenly spun around on his heel, and rushed back through the front door, exiting the building. 

**End of Chapter 1**


End file.
